Friends and Favors
by angellwings
Summary: Moments in the lives of two unlikely friends. Smitchie and Natella.
1. Summer 2011

**A/N: **Thanks to my friend Beth for the title! And thanks to Anna, Beth, and Ellyse for helping out with some of the ideas for this! I had a really depressing night one night and started this as a way to get some stuff _out._ It turned into a Shane/Ella friendship fic, and I've always liked the idea of Shane and Ella being very good friends. I've never really done much with it so I decided to do something about that, and turn that one fic into a series. I'm not sure how long this is going to be, but for the moment it's complete.

Enjoy! Happy reading!

angellwings

Friends & Favors

* * *

><p>By angellwings<p>

* * *

><p><em>Summer 2011<em>

Ella was a happy person. Overall, she had an optimistic attitude and very idealistic view of the world around her. She believed it was possible to be what you wanted to be (provided you worked hard and made the right connections.) She thought people were basically good and that all things would work out in time. She liked to smile and laugh and love. It wasn't hard for her to care for someone, but it was hard for her to let them in. She had a shell. It wasn't the most obvious thing about her; in fact she was sure no one noticed unless they were actually _looking_ for it.

There were parts of her she hid. There were things she kept to herself out of fear that her friends would suddenly find her annoying or embarrassing. And there were emotions she thought she wasn't supposed to show.

Everything about her seemed happy because that's all she thought people _wanted_ to see. No one really wanted to see her cry. Or to see her angry. Ella was _supposed_ to be happy. Ella was supposed to be the optimist.

So, she never told anyone that sometimes she felt like all her friendships were one-sided. She never told anyone how she felt like she gave and gave and never received anything in return. Every time she tried to plan something so many people would bail that she was only left with two or three guests. She would give gifts and rarely receive any in return. Whenever her birthday would roll around lots of people were busy and she usually spent it with her family.

It just…it felt like she was a friend of convenience to most people. _They_ were real friends to her, but so many times it felt like she wasn't theirs. Tess was honest about it so Ella couldn't fault her for that. She knew what she was getting into with her, but she did expect more from the others.

Was that wrong? Was that selfish or, somehow, bitchy? She felt like it was sometimes. Like she shouldn't feel like they could be better friends or as if _because _she felt that way _she_ wasn't a good friend. It was complicated and she felt like she couldn't address it with them. She didn't know what to do about it, but it hurt her deeply.

She took a deep breath and locked herself in one of the old bath houses. She was having one of those moments full of self pity and tears. Normally if she just kept breathing they'd go away. The minute she stopped focusing on keeping herself calm was the minute the tears fell. She'd left the dining hall in a hurry. She didn't even take her tray. Surely someone noticed she was upset. She glanced out one of the screened windows to see if anyone was behind her.

No one was.

That's when she stopped focusing on keeping calm. She felt her bottom lip start to quiver and immediately backed away from the window. She leaned against the wall that was furthest away and allowed herself to cry. There's no one around. No would hear her.

Even if they could hear her she wasn't sure if they would really care. Her tearstains were starting make her face feel stiff. She sniffled and wiped her cheeks as she took gasping breaths in attempt to calm down. She was over reacting. She had to be. They cared about her, right?

Maybe they just genuinely didn't realize she was hurting. Maybe she was really good at hiding it.

There was a knock on the latched screen door.

"Hello? Is somebody in there? No body's been in these bath houses for years, you know. They're not exactly safe."

She sniffled again but didn't say anything.

"I can hear you."

Ella glared at the door. She couldn't make out who it was, but she wasn't in the mood to talk. She just wanted to be alone and allow herself to mope. "Go away."

There was a pause for a moment before the same voice spoke up in a softer tone. "Ella? Is that you?"

"Who's asking?" Ella asked as she tried to wipe away the remainders of her tears.

"It's Shane. What are you doing out here?" He asked. "Could you unlatch the door?"

"What are _you_ doing out here?" Ella asked as she shoved off the wall.

"I thought I saw someone come this way. I guess it was you," Shane admitted.

"You followed me?"

"Well, yeah, the trails out this way are all grown over. I was afraid it was a J.R. and I didn't want them to get lost," Shane said.

She came and unlatched the screen door and then stepped out into the light. Shane's brow furrowed when he saw her red watery eyes.

"Have you been crying?" Shane asked in concern.

"No," Ella lied. She pasted on a smile. "I'm fine."

"Why were you crying?" Shane asked. He, apparently, didn't buy her lie.

She sniffled again and looked away from him. "I was just…sad. Can we leave at that?"

Shane's brow furrowed. "But you're never sad."

Ella scowled. "Just because I never show it doesn't mean I don't feel it."

That's when realization dawned on Shane's face. "You do this a lot, don't you? Hide and cry?"

Ella didn't answer. She just turned on her heel and headed back toward camp.

"How has no one ever noticed that you sneak away like this?" Shane asked as he followed her. Ella couldn't tell if he was asking her or _himself_. Ella shrugged and said nothing. "So, what were you sad about?"

Ella paused for a minute and questioned whether or not she should tell him. She bit her bottom lip, and admitted to herself that she actually _wanted_ to tell him. It had been a long time since anyone had asked her about how she felt and been _genuinely_ curious. She took a deep breath and decided to be honest. It had been a long time since she'd done that too.

"They girls invited Dana to lunch," Ella told him.

"So, you like Dana. I've seen you talking to her."

"They invited her after they all had a jam session yesterday," Ella said quietly.

"So?" Shane asked. "She's great on the keyboards."

Ella's bottom lip quivered again and she gulped back her emotions. "No one invited _me_ to jam."

Shane heard the thickness in her voice and his eyes widened. "Oh. _Oh_. Did you talk to them about it?"

Ella shrugged again. "No, it wouldn't have done any good and I didn't want Dana to think that I didn't like her."

"So, you came out here instead?" He asked.

She rubbed her eyes and nodded. "I just needed to get away."

"You could come jam with the guys, if you want," Shane offered. "We've got the barn reserved after lunch if you want to come."

"You're just offering because you feel bad for me," Ella said with a groan. "Don't do that."

"No! I want you to come! I've heard you sing! You're really good!"

"Thank you," Ella mumbled.

"Besides, everyone deserves to be a part of a jam session. Especially you. You rock out the hardest at all the camp jams," Shane said with a chuckle. "You get really into it. Do you play anything?"

Ella blushed and nodded. "Piano."

"You'll get along great with Nate, then. He loves the piano. He pretends the guitar is his favorite instrument to play, but he's not fooling anyone. He's a sucker for a baby grand—"

"What are you doing?" Ella asked with an irritated sigh. "I mean I'd expect this from Jason, but…since when do _you_ take in strays?"

Shane held his hands up in surrender. "You're not a stray, and I'm just trying to make a friend, Ella. I promise."

"No ulterior motives?" Ella asked suspiciously.

Shane shook his head.

"You're not going to try to use me to cheat on Mitchie?"

Shane laughed loudly but cut himself off when Ella glared at him. He cleared his throat and nodded seriously. "No. No, of course not."

"You just _honestly_ want to be my friend?" Ella asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, why not?" Shane asked. "You're talented, the few times we've hung out you seemed fun, and…I trust you. That's all the basics for a good friendship, right? So, what do you say? Wanna come jam with the guys?"

Ella smiled slowly and nodded. "Yeah, definitely. That sounds like fun."


	2. Summer 2012

**A/N: **Thanks to my friend Beth for the title! And thanks to Anna, Beth, and Ellyse for helping out with some of the ideas for this! I had a really depressing night one night and started this as a way to get some stuff _out._ It turned into a Shane/Ella friendship fic, and I've always liked the idea of Shane and Ella being very good friends. I've never really done much with it so I decided to do something about that, and turn that one fic into a series. I'm not sure how long this is going to be, but for the moment it's complete.

Enjoy! Happy reading!

angellwings

Friends & Favors

* * *

><p>By angellwings<p>

* * *

><p><em>Summer 2012<em>

One year later and Shane and Ella were still friends. In fact, they'd become very close. Ella had joined the guys weekly jam group permanently and had since become good friends with a lot of them. It was a confusing development for other campers and counselors. Mitchie had been worried about Shane and Ella's sudden friendship at first but after reassurances from both Ella and Shane she warmed up to the idea. Ella was always completely honest with Shane and him with her, and somehow that bled over into all of Ella's other friendships. Just before the summer ended she'd had a breakdown with the rest of the girls about all of her repressed feelings and they all cleared the air. Things had drastically improved since then. The girls hadn't realized anything was wrong or that her feelings had been hurt at all, but once they knew they made it clear how much Ella's friendship really meant to them.

Now they were all back together and it was like no time had passed. Ella stayed a part of the guys' jam group and she always had a blast. The guys now realized that Ella had just as much talent with music as she did with a needle and thread.

It was the first week of the summer and Ella was supposed to meet the guys at the barn in five minutes, but she was across camp in the wardrobe cabin and it was raining cats and dogs. She huffed and glanced around for an umbrella. Surely she had one somewhere. She huffed when she couldn't find one and decided to see if she could pull together an improvised rain coat. Just as she found the trash bags in the supply closet she heard the door open and close twice.

"Ella?" Shane called. "You here?"

Ella popped out of the supply closet and smiled brightly. She saw Shane and Jason waiting for her just inside the doorway. "I'm here!"

Ella walked toward them and noticed Shane was holding two umbrellas. He handed one to her with a grin. "Thought you might need that. Since you wouldn't _dare_ get your hair wet."

Ella laughed. "It'll turn frizzy if I do, and I can't have that."

Jason handed Ella a pink raincoat and shrugged when Ella gave him a curious look. "I had Caitlyn go by your cabin and pick up your raincoat. I thought you might want it."

"Thanks, Jase," Ella said as she slipped it on. She reached down and took off her flats to reveal her bare feet and manicured nails. "Let's go."

"You're going to walk through the rain barefoot?" Shane asked with a quirked brow.

"Yes, I'd rather do that than ruin my flats. Shoes aren't cheap, you know," Ella told him before she headed to the door. "Ready?"

Shane and Jason chuckled at the picture Ella made in her pink raincoat with her umbrella and bare feet.

"Ready when you are, Ella," Jason said with a grin as he held the door open for her.

"Thank you," She said with a smile as she stepped outside. She squealed and grimaced a little as her feet squished into the wet grass. Nate had been waiting for them outside and he turned when he heard the squeal.

He chuckled and followed her. "You know, those things in your hand are called shoes. You're supposed to wear them on your feet."

She stuck her tongue out at him teasingly. "Har-de-har-har. I'm barefoot on purpose, thank you."

She instinctively tip-toed through the grass and the mud. She yelped when she started to slip and reached out blindly for something to steady herself. She grabbed Shane's shoulder with one hand and Nate's arm with the other.

"You might want to invest in a pair of rain-boots," Shane said with a chuckle.

"Oh, shut up," Ella said with a laugh as she continued to slip. "Just help me stand."

"I've got a better idea," Shane told her. "Put your arm across my shoulders," He stopped and waited for her to readjust. "And then put your other arm across Nate's shoulders." Ella hesitated and blushed lightly but did as he said. Shane repositioned his arm around her waist and Nate did the same. Shane shared a look with Nate. "We're gonna pick her up and carry her, okay?"

"Oh, lord, this just spells disaster," Ella mumbled as they picked her up in a cradle hold and walked sideways while they carried her.

Jason chuckled as he watched them and walked behind them as a spotter. "Try not to fall. I'm not sure I can catch all three of you."

They finally made it to the steps outside of the barn and Ella let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, you can put me down now."

They didn't listen and continued to go up the stairs. Shane smirked as Ella's eyes widened.

"O-M-G, please _stop_," Ella said as the precariously took the first step. She glared at Shane. "You're doing this to give me a panic attack, aren't you?" Shane didn't say anything so Ella turned to Nate. "You're the smart one so you have to know this is a bad idea. Put me down, please?"

She stuck out her bottom lip and gave him a very convincing puppy dog face. Nate stared at her for a moment before he sighed in resignation and set the leg he held down on the steps. Shane had no choice but to release her and then he glared at Nate.

"Dude! You ruined all the fun! I wanted to see her face when we almost dropped her!" Shane pouted.

"Hey! It's not my fault! I was unprepared for the sad eyes and the-the whole sad puppy look," Nate said defensively. "She's evil!"

Jason rolled his eyes and grinned at Ella. He held out his hand for a high five and chuckled at his brothers. "Nicely done, Ms. Pador."

Ella high fived him and then curtsied. "Thank you. I do try."


	3. Summer 2013

**A/N: **Thanks to my friend Beth for the title! And thanks to Anna, Beth, and Ellyse for helping out with some of the ideas for this! I had a really depressing night one night and started this as a way to get some stuff _out._ It turned into a Shane/Ella friendship fic, and I've always liked the idea of Shane and Ella being very good friends. I've never really done much with it so I decided to do something about that, and turn that one fic into a series. I'm not sure how long this is going to be, but for the moment it's complete.

Enjoy! Happy reading!

angellwings

Friends & Favors

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Summer 2013<em>

* * *

><p>Camp had just ended. Ella had moved into her apartment close to the Fashion Institute's LA campus, and she started classes the next morning. She <em>was<em> sleeping peacefully until her phone blared "Play My Music" and she knew it was one of the guys. They'd been calling her a lot lately since she now lived in Los Angeles. Jason called to ask her questions about birdhouse designs, Nate called to ask her for her opinion on some new lyrics, and Shane had called to ask if she wanted to go visit a few new clubs with him. She sincerely hoped this was Nate or Jason. They wouldn't be calling in a buzzed stupor from a night club.

"Hello?" She asked as she answered. She immediately winced at the loud thumping of bass in the background. It had to be Shane.

"HEY! ELLA YOU'RE MISSING A REALLY GOOD TIME! THIS DJ IS AWESOME!"

"God, Shane!" Ella yelled. "STOP SCREAMING! I can hear you!"

"Oh, sorry, it's just really LOUD here," Shane said as he cleared his throat.

"You do realize that it is now," She paused to check her alarm clock before she continued. "_Three_ in the morning, right? And that I have to be up for class in less than five hours?"

"Oh, damn, is your first day _tomorrow_?"

"No, Shane, it's _today_," Ella said with a sigh.

"Whoops," Shane said with a chuckle. "My bad."

"So, what do you need, Gray? Or can I go back to sleep?" Ella asked as she grinned into the receiver.

"I, um, need you to help me get this girl off my back," Shane said quickly. "She keeps following me around and trying to flirt with me. Or worse."

"Or worse?" Ella asked.

"She, um, keeps trying to dance with me and she's all pressed up against my—"

"Never mind, don't want to know."

"So, what do I do?" Shane asked.

"Well, you could always try _leaving_."

"Ella, be serious, I can't leave till I get this DJ's card," Shane told her.

Her brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"I want to see if I can hire him for Mitchie's birthday party," Shane said as if it were obvious. It was time like this when Ella remembered they were celebrities. Only celebrities would think about hiring a Hollywood DJ like it was _completely normal_.

"You're going to have a DJ at Mitchie's party?" Ella asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I've got the club rented out and everything."

Ella shook her head but resisted saying how much that didn't sound like Mitchie. "Anyway, back to this girl. So, leaving is out. Did you hide in the men's room?"

"She was there waiting on me when I came out."

"Did you try and sic her on some other celebrity? Luke Williams has to be there. He goes out like _every_ night," Ella suggested.

"Pointed out Zac Efron and she completely ignored him."

Ella huffed and ran a hand through her hair. "Where is she now?"

"Last I saw her she was camped out in a corner near the—" He cut himself off and made a small surprised sound. She heard him gulp before he spoke. "Oh! Uh, um, hi. Wow, you move fast. Are you like a ninja or something?"

"She was behind you wasn't she?" Ella asked with a chuckle.

"Yep, just standing there. Staring."

Ella sighed. "Hand her the phone."

"What?" Shane asked in shock.

"Hand her the phone."

"What if she steals it? And Mitchie calls and some strange girl answers?" Shane asked in a panicked tone.

"Just trust me, Shane. Hand her the phone."

"H—hello?"

Ella nearly groaned at how _young_ this girl sounded. "Hi, sweetie. What's your name?"

"Carly. Who are you?"

"A friend," Ella said kindly. "Look, I know that to you Shane Gray is this god-like being and seeing him in person is a once in a lifetime thing for you, but, trust me, he's not all he's cracked up to be. Like right now because I know him I'm awake talking to you instead of sleeping soundly. Plus, he has a girlfriend. A girlfriend who would probably slap you into next week if she saw you groping Shane like I'm sure you've been doing all night. So, Carly, do yourself a favor and go home and sleep. Then wake up the next morning, declare your independence from your rich enabling parents, and become the multi-dimensional person I know you can be. Okay? Now, shoo! Run along and play with someone your own age."

There was a moment of rustling noise before Shane came back on the line. "What did you say to her?"

"Just gave her a bit of girl-to-girl advice. Did it work?"

"Well, she left."

"Good! Mission accomplished. Good night, Shane! Don't call me again tonight, okay?"

"What if I get mugged?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "Well, _of course_, that would be allowed."

"Car accident?"

"Shane—"

"If I fall and break my hip?"

"Sha—"

"Wind up in jail?"

"If you don't stop this I _will_ hang up on you."


	4. Summer 2014

Friends & Favors

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Summer 2014<em>

* * *

><p>Shane didn't know where Ella was. They had a jam session in five minutes and she was nowhere to be found. She wasn't in her cabin, the Mess Hall, or the wardrobe cabin. He was getting worried. He left the wardrobe cabin and headed toward the barn. Maybe he'd missed her and she was there already. As he walked the trail between the two he heard rushed footfalls behind him and then heard someone call his name.<p>

"Shane!"

It was Ella. He turned and waited for her expectantly. She smiled excitedly and grabbed his arm once she caught up to him. "Everything okay, Ella?"

She nodded and bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. "Yep, everything's great. I just needed to catch you before you got to the barn. You will _never_ believe what just happened!"

"What?" Shane asked.

"Do you remember Cal?" Ella asked. "He's one of Luke's back up dancers at Camp Star."

Shane quirked a brow. "Yeah. He's a jerk. Why?"

"He's not a jerk," Ella said with a sigh. "He's actually kinda nice."

Shane gave her a suspicious look. "Ella, please tell me he didn't ask you out."

"What's wrong with Cal?" Ella asked with a scowl.

"For starters, his name is _Cal_," Shane told her. "Plus, he's as much of a stage hog as Luke only he's nowhere near as talented. I'm also pretty sure he's asked out nearly every girl at Camp so far."

"Well, maybe he just didn't have a…_spark_ with those other girls," Ella said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not here for your blessing, Shane. I'm just here to tell you that I won't be at the jam session today. Cal's giving me a tour of Camp Star."

Shane rolled his eyes. "God, did he feed you that line about the _spark_? I'm telling you, if you go out with him you'll regret it. He's the very definition of the title _player_."

"I'm going, okay?" Ella said in a snappy tone. "I just wanted you to tell everyone I'd see them at tomorrow's session so no one worried."

She didn't give Shane time to say anything else. She spun on her heel and walked away from him. He huffed as he watched her go. It was a bad decision. She would regret it, but she wasn't going to listen to him. Ella had a thing for charismatic insensitive jerks. It was almost like the more they ignored her then the more she liked them. It was twisted in his opinion, but Ella didn't seem to care for his opinion on her romantic life.

When he reached the barn Jason and Nate gave him odd looks.

"Where's Ella?" Jason asked.

"She ditched us for a date," Shane said in a disgusted tone.

"A date?" Nate asked hesitantly. It almost seemed like he didn't want to know. "With who?"

"_Cal_," Shane spat.

Nate scowled. "He was the first guy Dana went on a date with after we broke up. As if I didn't hate him enough already."

"I tried to talk her out of it," Shane said. "But she didn't want to hear it."

Jason sighed. "So, I'm guessing we're not in the mood to jam today?"

"Oh no," Nate said. "We are. I'll bang on the drums and pretend its Cal's face."

Shane's eyes widened and he chuckled. "Damn, Nate. Jealous?"

Nate blushed. "I—no. I just don't like Cal. He's an idiot."

Shane rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever you say, man."


	5. Summer 2015

Friends & Favors

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Summer 2015<em>

* * *

><p>Shane often thought of Ella as a sister, and like any brother he usually tried to ignore her dating habits. But things just kept getting worse. She dated the same kind of guys over and over. All of them jerks and none of them were genuinely interested in <em>who she was<em>. The summer had just ended and thank goodness it did because Shane no longer had to watch the parade of Camp Star jackasses that would ask Ella out. He didn't understand why she insisted on dating guys that were so far beneath her, but she wouldn't listen to him. In fact, she pretty much ignored any and all of his dating advice.

"_You and Mitchie have been dating forever, Shane. You don't know what the dating scene is like now."_

He would always roll his eyes and begrudgingly change the subject. The fact of the matter was, Ella didn't think anyone genuinely worth it would be interested in her and so she'd settled for a certain type of guy. No one liked any of the guys she dated and everyone worried about her.

"Shane! There's a spider in your hair!"

Shane suddenly jumped and swatted at the top of his head. He stopped when he heard Mitchie's soft laughter. He looked up and glared playfully at her. "Very funny."

"You weren't listening to me. I had to do something."

"Sorry," Shane said as he placed his Chinese food to go container on the coffee table and leaned back into the couch. "I was thinking."

Mitchie nodded and put her container down as well. She leaned back against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "About Ella, right?"

"I just don't get why she keeps dating these losers."

"You know, most girls would worry that their boyfriends are thinking about other girls during their dates," Mitchie said with a teasing grin.

"But not you?" Shane asked in concern.

"Not me," Mitchie said with a small smile. "I think it's cute that you and Ella have this brother-sister bond. You know, girls always say that you can judge how a guy will treat you by how he treats his mother and his sisters. And until this year I'd never seen you with your mother, but for the last three years I _have_ seen you with Ella. It just reinforces what I already know."

"And what's that?" Shane asked with a soft smile.

Mitchie placed a short kiss on his lips before she answered. "That _you_ are a _great_ guy."

"Can I just tell you how glad I am that you're not _most girls_," Shane said with a smile as he kissed her forehead.

"You certainly can. Frequently, if you want," Mitchie said as she snuggled into his side again. "So, what are we going to do about Ella?"

Shane started to answer but his phone suddenly vibrated against the coffee table. His brow furrowed and he reached for his phone. It was a text. From Ella.

"_Horrible date. Stuck in Beverly Hills. Help?"_

Shane sighed and shook his head. "We gotta go, Mitch."

"Why? What happened?" She asked as they stood up.

"Ella's stranded in Beverly Hills. She needs a ride."

Shane texted her back as Mitchie got her sweater and put on her shoes.

"_On my way. Where are you exactly?"_

Shane grabbed his keys and led Mitchie out the door to his car.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the address Ella had texted him and found her sitting dejectedly on the curb. Ella wasted no time and practically had the backdoor open before he'd even stopped.<p>

Ella sighed as she closed the door behind her. "Sorry to ruin your evening, guys."

"No worries, Ella," Mitchie said with a smile. "We were just having a movie and take out night."

"What happened?" Shane asked. If this guy had just _left_ Ella on the street he was going to have to track him down and have a little talk.

"Jerk, thought I would go home with him on a first date," Ella said through gritted teeth. "And when I slapped him he kicked me out of the car."

"Where the hell do you meet these jackasses?" Shane sneered.

"Shane," Mitchie said in a scolding tone.

"No, Mitch, this has gone on long enough," Shane said with a huff. "This date could have ended much worse than this!"

"Shane, I'm really not in the mood for a lecture, right now, okay?" Ella said softly. "Believe me, I know I date jerks. But who else am I supposed to date? All the good ones are taken or _way_ out of my league."

"No, Ella, you're just not looking in the right places," Shane told her. "You're intelligent, talented, and very attractive. Honestly, you could have any guy you wanted, but you _choose_ these idiots. It's the same guy over and over again. They just have different names and faces."

Ella chuckled darkly. "Any guy I wanted? Very funny."

"I'm serious, Ella," Shane told her. "I don't know where you got this idea that you're only good enough for a certain kind of guy, but it's wrong. Completely wrong."

"So, what? I'm just supposed to stay home on Friday nights and be sad and dateless?" Ella asked.

"Unless you're dating a guy who's actually _worth_ it then yeah!" Shane told her. "Don't date just _anyone_, Ella. Date someone who might actually deserve you."

Ella sighed and leaned back against the seat. "Well, _how_ am I supposed to find that?"

Ella's phone made a short beeping sound and she checked it before typing a response.

"Who was that?" Mitchie asked.

Ella shrugged and sniffled. "Nate. I texted all three of the guys just in case one of them were closer than the other. I told him Shane picked me up already."

Mitchie's brow furrowed. "Isn't Nate on a date right now?"

"I don't know," Ella answered. "His first message said he could pick me up in five minutes. So, I guess not."

Shane's phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen quickly. It was from Nate. He handed it to Mitchie to check for him. Mitchie smiled secretively as she read it and then quickly showed the text to Shane.

"_What happened? Is Ella okay? Are you taking her home or back to your place?"_

Shane sighed and smiled knowingly. He looked at Ella through his rear view mirror. She had somehow ignored the one guy who was right in front of her and absolutely crazy about her. Nate.

"Maybe I should just give up," Ella said as she broke the silence. "I should just face up to the fact that I'm going to be some old spinster lady who wears white pants after Labor Day and socks with sandals and has about twenty cats. Forever alone. That's my life."

Shane rolled his eyes and grinned at her overdramatic statement. "I don't know, Ella. I wouldn't give up just yet. You never know. Sometimes the most obvious things take the longest to see."

Ella's brow furrowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Shane chuckled and shared a look with Mitchie before he spoke. "Exactly."


	6. Summer 2016

Friends & Favors

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Summer 2016<em>

* * *

><p>"So, Nate's been acting weird lately, right?" Ella asked as she and Shane sat down for coffee.<p>

Shane quirked a brow at her. "Weird?"

"Yeah, I mean not that I don't think it's nice, but he's been offering to pay for my food and stuff and then he calls me at really random times. _Just_ to ask me how my day's been. That's strange, isn't it? Has he been doing that to you?"

Shane gave her an amused disbelieving look before he answered. "No, he hasn't been doing that to me."

"So, it's just me, then?" Ella asked in confusion.

Shane grinned and rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's _just you_."

"I mean it's kinda nice. Every time it's just me and him—" Ella cut herself off and sighed contentedly. He held back a chuckle as she blushed. "It sort of feels like a date."

This time Shane did chuckle. "Oh, Ella."

"What?" She asked in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"It feels like a date because it _is_ a date, El."

"What?" she asked in surprise. "But—But he hasn't even _asked_! How am I supposed to know it's a date when he doesn't _ask_?"

Shane laughed loudly and shook his head. "That's Nate. Bad at actually _talking_ to people."

"Well, that's not fair!" Ella said with a pout. "Now, I won't know what to consider our first _real_ date!"

"Just ask Nate. He'll know," Shane said as he continued to laugh.

"Why couldn't he just ask me out? I would've gotten all dolled up and—Oh God," Ella said as she paused and bit her bottom lip.

"What?" Shane asked.

"If I'd have known we were on a date I would have been a little more lady-like last time."

Shane grinned anxiously. "What does that mean?"

"Well, you know, I thought I was just hanging out with my _friend_ Nate, you know?"

"And?" Shane asked expectantly.

"I may have…burped just a little."

"Burped?" Shane asked as he attempted to hold back a laugh.

Ella winced. "Alright, maybe it was more like _belch_." Ella flushed and buried her face in her hands. "God, I'm so embarrassed."

Shane smiled brightly at laughed at her expense. "_You_ belched?"

"There's a first time for everything! And I didn't think Nate would mind because…well, I mean, until recently he was just _Nate_," Ella said with a sigh. "He probably thinks I'm disgusting."

"Ella," Shane said as he smiled at her. "Do you know how many girls are actually comfortable enough around us to do that?"

Ella gave him a confused look. "How many?"

"None," Shane told her. "Well, apart from Mitchie and Caitlyn. I'm sure Nate didn't mind. Believe me."

"Now, I have to figure how to act around him! What do I do? Why is this so complicated?" Ella said as her eyes widened and she wrung a napkin in her hands. "This is where you're supposed to come in handy, Shane."

"Wow, nice to know I've been useless all the years up until now," Shane said with a smirk.

"I'm serious, Shane. Help me," Ella said with a glare.

"Okay, okay," Shane said with one last chuckle. "You want advice?" She nodded. "You want honest advice about how to act next time you're on a date with Nate?"

Ella nodded. "Yes I do."

"Alright, here it comes. You ready?" Shane asked. He waited for Ella to look him in the eyes. "Don't change a thing."

Ella huffed. "Shane, come on."

"No, Ella, really. Don't act any different, don't change a thing. Nate likes _you_. The _you_ he's known for years," Shane said honestly. "So, just be yourself."

Ella blushed and smiled softly at him. "Okay, I get it. Thank you, Shane."

"No sweat, Ella," Shane said as he patted her hand. "You like Nate and he likes you. You'll be fine. Besides, you've been friends long enough to see each other at your worst. You pretty much know what you're getting into."

"You mean like when Nate gets writer's block and he forgets to eat?"

"Yes."

"Or when he has a bad day and gets all gloomy and mean?"

Shane nodded. "That too."

"Or when he runs out of Diet Coke and—"

"I get it, Ella. You know all about Nate and his bad moods," Shane said as he rolled his eyes.

"I can't help it. He's so cute when he's all sad and angsty. Like Eeyore!"

Shane groaned. "Oh, God. This is what our conversations are going to be like now, isn't it? You gushing about Nate and me…silently dying."


	7. Summer 2017

**A/N: **So this is the last one of these for the moment. I don't have any more ideas for these off the top of my head, but if I think of any more in the future they will totally be added. I hope anyone who read this enjoyed it! I had fun writing it and playing with the Shane/Ella friendship dynamic.

Happy Reading!

angellwings

Friends & Favors

By angellwings

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><p><em>Summer 2017<em>

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><p>Nate's car pulled up to the curb outside of her office building and Ella inwardly groaned. How could lunch be over already? Time always flew when she was with Nate. She glanced out the window at the revolving door of the building and made a soft whining noise.<p>

Nate chuckled and squeezed her hand. "You're already halfway through the day, El, and then I'll pick you up for dinner. Just four more hours."

"I know, but I _hate_ Lena. Like _hate _her," Ella said with a sigh. "I'd rather just skip work and hang out with you."

"She's gonna be worse if you're late," Nate told her. "She loves to pick on you."

Ella groaned. "I can't wait till I have enough saved up to open up my own studio. This is ridiculous. I hate working for someone who despises me."

"I'm sure she doesn't despise you," Nate told her.

"No, she does. She definitely does. Every single idea I have spends like a split second on her desk before she throws it out," Ella said as she sunk down into the car seat. "I love fashion, but I _hate_ my workplace."

Nate kissed the back of her hand and smiled sympathetically. "You have to grin and bear it, El. Just for a little while, and then it'll be _all_ you."

"Yeah, I guess," Ella said. She glanced down at her watch and grimaced. "I have two minutes. I should go."

Nate immediately got out of the car and went around to open the door for her. Ella rolled her eyes and grinned. She tried to tell him he didn't have to do that, but he always did anyway. The door opened and he held out his hand to help her out. He closed the door behind her and then pulled her toward him. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'll pick you up at 5, okay?" Nate said with a soft smile.

Ella nodded. "On the dot? You won't be late?"

"Ella, it's me. Am I _ever_ late?" Nate asked with a quirked brow and a smirk.

Ella chuckled. "No, you're never late." Ella placed a short kiss on Nate's lips before she pulled out of his arms. "Love you. See you later."

"Love you too," Nate told her as he watched her head toward the door. "And _try_ to have fun, okay?"

Ella grinned and nodded. "I'll _try_. I'm not saying I'll succeed, but I'll _try_."

She walked inside and headed up to the second floor and immediately found her cubicle and her easel. She had a job as a junior designer for Melon. Melon was an up and coming brand that had merchandising contracts with a select number of department stores. Lena was one of the founders and Ella's supervisor. Since Ella's first day Lena had always had something against her. Ella didn't know what she did, but Lena definitely had a grudge. Ella had been back for maybe an hour when her phone vibrated against one of the shelves of her easel. She discretely checked it and prayed Lena was still out for lunch.

It was from Shane. _"911. Urgent! Please help!"_

There was address listed underneath the message and Ella gasped. Nine-one-one? Oh God, was he hurt? Had something happened? She paled and immediately found one of the other supervisors. She told them she had a family emergency and grabbed her purse before she raced out the door. She passed Lena on her way out and noted the disapproving glare. She was probably going to be on the receiving end of a lecture later, but right now she didn't care.

The address wasn't so far away so she decided to walk. Thank goodness she'd worn flats today. She reached the building and her eyes found Shane standing outside of the door. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of him, but then another thought struck her. If he was fine then something must have happened to someone else.

She stopped in front of him and tried to catch her breath. "Oh God, what happened? Who's hurt? Is it Mitchie? Or—Oh my God, is it Nate?"

Shane's brow furrowed and he looked confused. "What? Somebody's hurt? When did this happen?"

She gave him a strange look. "You texted me. Nine-one-one, remember?"

"Yeah," Shane said before he's eyes widened. "Oh! Oh no! You thought I meant—No one's hurt, El. I promise. Everybody's fine."

"Then why did you say urgent?" Ella asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"Because I needed your advice. You're the best shopper I know."

"Shopper?" Ella glanced at the building and her shoulders slumped. It was a jewelry store. She glared at Shane. "Shane Cesario Gray, I will kick your ass!" Ella shouted as she hit him with her purse. "You jerk! I rushed out of work because I thought there was a _serious_ emergency!"

"Ow! _Ow!_" Shane yelled as he tried to back away from her. "What the hell is in your purse?"

"You had me scared to death! I cannot believe you! God, we have to have a serious talk about what nine-one-one actually _means_!" Ella yelled as she hit him one more time.

"Are you done abusing me now?" Shane asked cautiously.

"For the moment, but after my boss lectures me you better watch your back. Next time I'll make sure to have something much heavier in my purse," Ella said with a huff. "Now _what_ did you call me out of work for? And it better be life changing, Gray."

"Oh it is," Shane said with a smile. He held the door open for her and motioned her inside. "Come on."

"Mr. Gray," The salesman said happily. "I see you've returned."

"Yes, and I brought my best friend and personal shopper," Shane said as he playfully nudged Ella's side.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Personal shopper? You never let me shop for you. You think you know all."

"Excellent, I've gotten out a selection of rings for you to look at and hopefully one of _these_ will stand out for you," He said as he pulled out a few displays from the case.

Ella's eyes widened when she saw what had been set down in front of them. "Oh my God. Shane! Are you…are you _proposing_ to Mitchie?"

Shane chuckled and nodded as he looked over the diamond rings on the counter. Ella squealed and rushed him with a hug. Shane laughed loudly and hugged her back. "Wow, if this is your reaction then I can't wait to see _Mitchie's_."

"Shane! This is huge!" Ella said excitedly. "I'm so happy for you! When? _When?_"

Shane and Ella pulled apart and he smiled at her. "Well, I was hoping you'd help me figure out the details."

Shane turned back to the rings and began to examine them as Ella bit her lip thoughtfully.

"Well, you've got Connie and Steve's anniversary dinner tomorrow night, right?" Ella asked.

Shane nodded. "Yes, it's black tie."

"Perfect, that's when you should propose."

"You think?" Shane asked as he picked up one of the rings.

"Yes. She'll be surrounded by her family, you're already there to celebrate love and marriage, and she'll always remember the date you proposed if it coincides with her parents' wedding anniversary," Ella said with a nod.

Shane quirked a brow at her and grinned knowingly. "You mean, _I'll_ always remember, don't you?"

Ella chuckled and looked down at the counter. "Well, _maybe._"

"And what should I say?" Shane asked.

Ella gave him a pointed look. "You don't honestly expect me to feed you your proposal, do you? That's between you and Mitchie."

Shane sighed and for the first time Ella saw how nervous he was. "I—I've never been good at putting how I feel into words, El. Not unless I can _sing_ my words."

Ella chuckled. "Ah, so Nate gets it honest, huh?"

Shane shook his head and grinned at her. "Will you stop teasing me and help me?"

"Just be honest, Shane. Tell her exactly how you feel. How grateful you are to have her around, how she makes you a better person, and what you want for your life together. If you do that then I promise you she'll say yes," Ella told him as she squeezed his shoulder.

"Yeah?" Shane asked as he turned to look at her.

Ella nodded. "You're a great guy, Shane, and Mitchie absolutely adores you. You have nothing to worry about."

Shane hugged her and nodded. "Thank you, Ella."

"No problem," she told him. "Have you decided on a ring yet?"

"I think so," Shane said as he held up a ring for her to see. It was beautiful. Not too gaudy, but not too simple. It was elegant and modest. Just like Mitchie.

"Perfect," Ella told him. "Absolutely perfect."


	8. Summer 2020

**A/N: **So, for her birthday, my friend Beth requested a scene with Carly (the girl who was bothering Shane in the Summer 2013 scene) about how Ella's talk with her actually made Carly a better person. So here it is! Enjoy!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

PS - Also the IndieCRAwards is accepting nominations! They have a FFN profile and a Twitter! Check them out and nominate! :D

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><p>Summer 2020<p>

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><p>Ella sighed as she crossed yet another candidate off of her list. Why was finding a personal assistant so difficult? She'd finally saved up enough money to go out on her own and have her own studio, but that meant she couldn't do everything on her own. She needed an assistant that could help her keep track of her appointments and arrange networking events for her while she worked with the clients.<p>

But everyone she'd interviewed so far was horrendously underqualified and surprisingly unenthusiastic. Surely there had to be someone who had a little bit of event planning experience _and_ felt excited about fashion. There just had to be.

Her phone rang and she quickly answered it. She still had a few minutes before her next applicant showed up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, El."

"Hey, Shane. What's up?"

"Nothing much. Just wondering how interviews are going. Find your perfect assistant yet?"

"No," Ella said with a huff. "Not that I expected this to be easy, but…I've interviewed so many people today you'd think I would have found just _one_ I liked."

"Maybe you're being too selective?"

"I can't lower my standards, Shane. If I do that I'll be doing all the work myself."

"Well, then you'll have to search for as long as it takes, won't you?"

She could hear his smirk. "Are you enjoying my frustration?"

"Just a bit. I mean, you're stressing out over something you can't really fix. You know what you have to do and yet you're still complaining about it. Like I'm magically going to be able to get you out of it," Shane said with a chuckle. "I find that amusing."

Ella rolled her eyes. "I'm done talking to you. I have one more interview and then I'm free."

"Free to meet Nate and then make out you mean—"

"Shut up, Shane," Ella said with as she tried not to chuckle.

"What? That's your plan, isn't it? Don't even lie. It's kind a gross but even I know you and Nate can't keep your hands off each—"

"I'm hanging up now, Shane."

"Ella and Nate sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love then comes ma—"

"Goodbye, Shane," Ella said as she laughed and hung up quickly. He was so ridiculous. There was a knock on her office door and she looked up to see a petite blonde smiling pleasantly at her.

"Is this the right place for the interview?"

"Are you here about the assistant position?" Ella asked.

The girl nodded and smiled politely. "I am."

"Then you're in the right place. Please, come in."

Ella shook the girl's hand as she introduced herself. "I'm Ella Pador, and it's nice to meet you…"

"Carly," She said with a smile. "Carly Peters."

"Carly," Ella said with a nod as she sat down. She motioned to the empty chair across from her. "Have a seat, and tell me about yourself."

Carly watched Ella as she flipped through a stack of papers until she came across Carly's resume. She waited for Ella to get herself situated before she spoke. "Well, I'm still trying to figure myself out actually. I've done a little bit of everything over the last few years. I've tried acting, I've tried writing, party planning, real estate, retail, and I've even worked at a bank. The closest I've come to really enjoying myself was retail and party planning."

Ella smiled a bit at that. Event planning. She'd been looking for that. "And what sort of retail job did you work?"

"It was a small boutique in a little town twenty minutes west of here. I was basically a personal shopper, and my discount was killer. All the best designer lines were in stock in that boutique and I loved helping people find exactly what they were looking for. I just wished it had been full time and paid a little more, you know?"

Ella nodded. "I worked retail all through college. Trust me, I know."

So far so good. She liked fashion and she had event planning experience. She seemed nice enough, and she was a cutie too.

"Um, just a question – unrelated to the interview – was that Shane Gray you were talking to?"

Ella tensed a little. She really hoped Carly didn't screw this up. She wouldn't mind if someone she hired was a fan but she couldn't take it if they only wanted to work for her because of her connection to Connect Three. "Yes it was. Why?"

"Have you known him long?"

"Since I was fourteen," Ella said with a small sigh. She'd been asked that question so many times that she could answer it in her sleep. Carly gave Ella a look as if she were trying to place her. Like they'd met before but it was foggy and distant. Ella quirked a brow at her. "Why? Do you know Shane?"

"No, not…really, no," Carly said as she blushed.

"Ah," Ella said with a grin. "So you must be a fan. Well, trust me, he's not all he's cracked up to be. I mean he's one of my best friends and I love him but he can be a real pain sometimes."

Carly's eyes widened suddenly and she beamed at Ella. "Oh my God! That's why you seem familiar! You're _her_!"

Ella blinked at the blonde. "What? Her who?"

"I sort of stalked Shane Gray one night when I was very young and stupid," Carly admitted. "And I could tell I was freaking him out but I didn't stop. Finally he turned to face me and handed me his cell, and someone on the other end basically changed my life."

Ella's brow furrowed. "Changed your life how?"

"Well, she told me to declare my independence from my 'rich enabling parents' and become a multi-dimensional person. And I think…I think that person was _you_," Carly said as she stared at Ella in awe.

Ella's eyes widened. That certainly did sound like something she'd do but she couldn't, for the life of her, remember it.

"Me?" Ella asked.

"Your voice sounds familiar and from what I just heard you've known Shane forever. And probably well enough for him to call you in the middle of the night while he's being stalked by a fan at a club, right?" Carly asked with a grin.

Ella chuckled and nodded. "Of course."

"I'm willing to bet it was you," Carly told her. "You know the _very_ next morning I got up and went out looking for a job. Whatever part time job I could find that would work with my school schedule. I thought that maybe Phone Girl, that's what I called you in my head, was right and that I needed to be independent. And then once I graduated high school I moved out and went to a college I liked and not the one that I was expected to go to. I worked my ass off through college and I'm still working my ass off. I figure if I work enough jobs then I'm bound to find my calling. I'm certainly not gonna find it lurking clubs and stalking celebrities."

Ella chuckled and nodded. "No, I suppose not."

"I can't believe it was you!" Carly said excitedly. "I always told myself that if I ever met Phone Girl I'd thank her for giving me a much needed push." Carly took a deep breath and smiled at Ella brightly. "So, thank you. Really. I don't know who I would be if you hadn't talked some sense into me."

"You're—you're welcome, I suppose. I don't really remember that but it certainly sounds like something I'd do," Ella said with an encouraging smile. "Now, about this job…"

"Yes?" Carly asked eagerly.

"Would you like it?" Ella asked with a wink. "You're the only candidate I've genuinely liked all day. Do you think you could handle it?"

"Oh my God, yes! I could totally handle it! I would love it!" Carly exclaimed. "Can I hug you…or is that inappropriate?"

Ella laughed and shook her head. "Trust me, I've never been one to turn down a hug. Sure. Why not?"

Carly popped up out of her chair and wrapped a bear hug around Ella. The minute she'd released Ella she started jumping up and down excitedly.

"This is totally the best day of my life so far!"

Ella laughed at the younger girl and smiled warmly. "Glad I could be a part of it, Carly."


End file.
